Even before the Japanese attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in December 1941, World War II had created millions of new jobs in defense industries as the United States engaged in a massive military buildup to prepare for the possibility of war. Because of discrimination in employment, African Americans gained little from this buildup, getting only the low-end jobs if any at all.

African American labour leader A. Philip Randolph, head of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, had long fought for African American rights in employment opportunity and other realms. At the time when the United States was preparing for war, however, President Roosevelt had evinced little interest in civil rights, being more concerned with having the war mobilization go smoothly and quickly. Roosevelt was also following a political strategy of appeasing southern Democrats, who were extremely powerful in Congress and opposed federal programs aimed at uplifting African Americans.

When Randolph and other civil rights leaders tried to persuade Roosevelt to end discrimination in defense-industry employment, the president rebuffed them. Randolph responded by threatening to organize a large march on Washington, D.C. Roosevelt recognized that the presence of possibly 100,000 or more protesters in the capital could be embarrassing and would distract attention from more pressing matters. In order to appease the civil rights leaders, especially Randolph, the president issued Executive Order 8802, which specified that there would be no discrimination in the U.S. defense industry on the basis of race, colour, or national origin. The executive order did not establish full employment equality, but it did establish a Fair Employment Practices Committee (FEPC).

The FEPC was solely an investigative and advisory committee and lacked enforcement powers. It did, however, symbolize at least some commitment to nondiscrimination and set a precedent for the postwar civil rights achievements that occurred during the administration of Pres. Harry S. Truman.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Lorraine Murray, Associate Editor.

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